MASHAV:
Activity Report - 2003

MASHAV, the Center for International Cooperation of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel,
is a very different development organization. We are different in many
ways  first and foremost, in our origins. When MASHAV was first
founded in 1958, Israel was itself a developing country meeting many
of the challenges still faced by the developing world today. At the
same time as many of the countries of the South were emerging from colonial
rule, we in Israel were dealing with a severe food crisis in a semi-arid
country necessitating rationing of food to all Israeli civilians, with
the absorption of hundreds of thousands of refugees from post-Holocaust Europe and Arab lands, with
post-conflict rehabilitation of victims of war. In order for Israel
to become the developed country it is today, we had to find ways to
make the desert bloom, to provide new rural communities with the social
and economic infrastructure necessary for their welfare, to ensure rapid
economic growth in a resource-poor country and to provide education
and social services for a growing, multi-ethnic population.

Israel succeeded in all of these tasks and thus transformed itself
into the modern economy we are today. Some would call this the Israeli
miracle. But, in truth, it was not miracles that enabled us to progress
but rather the generation of creative human and technological solutions
to the severe challenges that we faced. These are the precise solutions
that MASHAV has aimed, from day one, to put at the disposal of the developing
world.

Our unique origins have informed our approach to development. Our own
experience has taught us the importance of capacity-building and empowerment
in any development process. Thus, MASHAV has always espoused the concept
of development through partnership. We recognize the importance of working
with our partners is the South to develop together solutions appropriate
for them, empowering and building capacities rather than merely importing
and imposing standardized ideas. Similarly, we believe that partnership
between development organizations themselves is essential, combining
efforts in a coordinated manner in order to maximize impact. In MASHAVs
case, this means that we are committed to working together with other
development organizations in integrated regional projects, contributing
Israels unique experience and expertise wherever they may be relevant
and useful.

The past year has been a year of partnership building.
We signed an agreement with USAID Romania for joint programming there, as well as continuing our widespread
cooperation with USAID in Central Asia. We entered into new cooperative
arrangements with organizations such as the Corvus Foundation of Switzerland
which now co-sponsors ophthalmological missions to the developing world
to treat preventable blindness and continued to cooperate in joint projects
with numerous NGOs, UN bodies
and national ODAs. In addition, we also expanded our relationships with
Southern partners, launching new agricultural projects in China, Kazakhstan,
Namibia, Thailand and Uzbekistan among others.

It is our belief that, as the world development community continues
to move towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals,
the principle of partnership is essential for our success. For, only
by working together, as development organizations, Northern and Southern
governments and NGOs, coordinating our efforts and harmonizing our goals,
will we be able to bring about the rapid development and sustainable
change that Israel itself once benefited from, so that the Israeli miracle
will no longer be considered an exception to the rule, but rather the
story of the developing world as a whole.

Arie Arazi
Head of MASHAV
Deputy Director General
Foreign Ministry of Israel

Training Department

Human Capacity Building

Human capacity building remains the main priority of MASHAV. We are
proud of our highly extensive training program, which includes a uniquely
wide range of subjects and languages. Almost 300 international and single-country
courses annually are offered in Israel and abroad for thousands of participants,
in subjects including agriculture, medicine and public health, science
and technology, management and entrepreneurship, education and economic,
social, community and rural development. Over the years, almost 200,000
professionals have participated in MASHAV courses. Many have later gone
on to serve in key positions, enabling them to further disseminate the
skills and knowledge gained in MASHAV courses.

MASHAVs training program benefits from the following advantages:

* A network of MASHAV-affiliated study centers and academic and professional
institutions, providing high-level facilities and expert instruction
for courses both in Israel and abroad.

* Access to a wide range of Israeli policy-makers, academics and professionals,
with experience in fields of particular importance to the developing
world.

* Use of the Israeli experience of development over its 50 years of
existence as a model of instruction.

Numerous international organizations, NGOs, and donor countries have
taken advantage of MASHAVs unique training program, sponsoring
or co-funding, with MASHAV, trainees from their partner countries and
programs. These organizations include UN agencies, other international
organizations and national development cooperation agencies and NGOs.

Israels cooperation with developing countries involves activities
throughout the world in three different ways:

Courses in Israel

Based on work plans and relevant topics, MASHAV, in
conjunction with professional and academic institutes, holds advanced
training courses in Israel, in five languages: English, French, Arabic,
Spanish and Russian. The courses are offered in agriculture, health
issues, community development, education, cooperation and other subjects.
Course participants spend between three weeks and five months in Israel.

Short-term on-the-spot courses

Experts travel to the country in question, as a result
of an official request channeled through Israels representations.
Over a two to four week period, courses are held on a range of subjects:
agriculture, medicine, organizing cooperatives, business entrepreneurship,
to name just a few. In 2003, some 132 such courses were held throughout
the world.

Short and long-term experts

In response to an official request by a country requiring
assistance, an Israeli expert comes to carry out a project involving
both training activities and practical demonstrations. The expert resides
in the country to which s/he has been assigned, on a day-to-day basis
handling a specific topic which has been selected by the local bodies
and agents. In 2003, over 153 short term consultancies and some 14 long-term
consultancies were held by MASHAV experts worldwide involving a wide
range of subjects.

MASHAV Projects

MASHAV projects seek to advance our primary goal of capacity building
in areas in which Israel has a competitive advantage. Our main project
focus is on agricultural pilot and demonstration projects which serve
as a platform for training, extension and research and development.
We also work with partner countries to set up support networks for micro-enterprises,
small and medium enterprises and agribusinesses. In addition, each year,
we complete a select number of small-scale, turnkey medical infrastructure
projects.

The guiding principles of MASHAV projects are sustainability and replicability.
These aims are achieved by the following means:

* Every MASHAV project is accompanied by extensive capacity-building
and training activities both in Israel and on the project site.

* MASHAV is committed to long-term, follow-up activities in all its
projects, including the posting of long-term expert consultants at project
sites.

* Project technologies are carefully selected to suit the needs and
capacities of the local populations. Similarly, methodologies taught
are designed to be easily replicable by individuals or small collectives.

* MASHAV projects are designed in cooperation with
host countries and local partner institutions. Maximum flexibility is
maintained in order to address specific local needs.

Haigud Society for Transfer of Technology

Haigud serves as the financial and administrative arm of MASHAV, and
functions as a professional unit to assist in the implementation of
MASHAV activities.

Haigud was established in 1963 as a government company and is a non-profit
organization owned by the Government of Israel.

Haigud acts as liaison with government agencies and voluntary organizations.

Haigud is managed by a Board of Directors composed
of government and public representatives; a Director General (who also
serves as the Deputy-Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and Head of MASHAV); a Deputy Director-General; a representative of
the Government Companies Authority; and an Accountant, a Legal Advisor
and an Internal Comptroller.

Training Abroad

Courses Abroad

Short-term on-the-spot courses

On-the-spot courses, given in the participants' home countries, are
an integral part of the training activities of MASHAV. Experts travel
to the country in question, as a result of an official request channeled
through Israels representations. Over a two to four week period,
courses are held on a range of subjects: agriculture, medicine, education,
business entrepreneurship, to name just a few. In 2003, some 132 such
courses were held throughout the world.

Consultancies

MASHAV Training Activities

Israels cooperation with developing countries involves activities
throughout the world:

Short- and long-term consultancies

In response to an official request by a country requiring assistance,
an Israeli expert comes to carry out a project involving both training
activities and practical demonstrations. The expert resides in the country
to which s/he has been assigned, on a day-to-day basis handling a specific
topic which has been selected by the local bodies and agents. In 2003,
some 153 short-term consultancies and 12 long-term consultancies were
held by MASHAV experts worldwide involving a wide range of subjects.

International Partnerships

Joint Projects

MASHAV is strongly in favour of forging partnerships with other donor
bodies, international organizations and NGOs in order to enhance the
efficacy of our work in the developing world. In our experience, such
partnerships enable each donor to bring its own areas of development
expertise to better achieve common goals. In addition, MASHAV recognizes
the importance of coordination with other donor partners responsible
for sectoral-based programs and is willing to contribute MASHAVs
unique capacities, where relevant, to the broader programs of other
donor organizations.

USAID-MASHAV Partnership in Central Asia

In 2001, a Grant Agreement was signed with USAIDCentral Asian
Region for the co-financing of a wide variety of Joint Projects in the
Central Asian Region, with particular focus on Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan
and Kyrgyzstan.

The goal of the new USAID-MASHAV assistance strategy for Central Asia
is to expand opportunities for the citizens of emerging Central Asian
states, helping them to improve their governance, livelihood and quality
of life. The primary objectives of the program are as follows:

* Fostering small-scale enterprise and trade, including through the
establishment or agricultural consulting centers and demonstration farms

* Building a more democratic culture

* Better management of water and energy resources, including by environmental
demonstrations in wetland management in the Aral Sea disaster zone and
using biological techniques to drain waterlogged soil in the Ferghana
Valley

A similar cooperative USAID-MASHAV program has recently been launched
in Romania.

USAID-MASHAV Partnership in Romania

In early 2002 a Grant Agreement was signed with USAID Romania for the
funding of joint projects in the field of agribusiness. The MASHAV-USAID
partnership in Romania aims at expanding opportunities for the people
of Romania and improving their standards of living by developing a vital,
competitive, export market-oriented agricultural sector. The program
is targetted to achieve measurable increases in exports of competitive
agricultural products through product development, increased efficiency,
improved technology, farm mamagement and seed varieties. In addition,
it will catalyze and support creation of competitive private agricusinesses.The
program intends to achieve the result of moving portions of the agriculture
sector toward becoming commercially successful exporters through activities
for quality improvements in food processing, agricultural policy and
private sector advocacy.

The program draws upon Israeli expertise in agribusiness
and in important technologies such as irrigation for smallholder farms
as well as the skills of some of the 250,000 Romanian speakers now resident
in israel in order to execute a capacity building program. The program
includes short and log-term technical assistance missions, training
and grants.

The Danish Agency for Development Assistance - DANIDA

In light of the success of the Denmark-Egypt-Israel
Trilateral Training Program (TTP) in the years 1996-1999, the Government
of Denmark initiated a three-year Regional Agricultural Program (RAP)
which includes Jordan and
the Palestinian Authority.
This program concludes by the end of 2004. Under discussion is a new
phase of the program which is planned for 2005.

International Program for Arid Lands Crops - IPALAC

MASHAV sponsors a variety of programs of Ben
Gurion Universitys International Program for Arid Lands Crops
(IPALAC). These programs are dedicated to improving agricultural productivity
and ensuring food security in arid and semi-arid lands, with particular
focus on small and medium farmers in the Sahel region of Africa. IPALAC
works in cooperation with African agricultural research organizations
and NGOs in order to develop ground-breaking technologies and methodologies
suitable for the specific needs and culture of each partner. In addition,
numerous international organizations and NGOs have invested in IPALACs
activities, including the Government of Finland, Africare, World Vision,
the Pope John Paul II Foundation, UNESCO, FAO, the International Development
Research Center of Canada, the Desert Margins Program of the World Banks
Consultative Group International Agricultural Research, the International
Foundation and the Brach Foundation.

Grassroots Management with the World Bank

Since its establishment in 1961, the Golda
Meir Mount Carmel Training Center (MCTC), a MASHAV extension, has
dedicated itself to empowering and building the capacities of the worlds
poorest women through an extensive training program of gender-sensitive
courses, such as community development and organization and management
of grassroots income-generating projects for women. It is this experience
which has led to collaboration between MASHAV and the MCTC and the World
Banks Economic Development Institutes Grassroots Management
Training and Outreach Program (GMT), which was first set up in 1993
to reduce poverty by imparting basic management skills to low-income
people.

Since 1997, the MCTC and the World Bank have collaborated
on a number of programs in this field, including incorporation of GMT
modules taught by World Bank lecturers in MCTC courses on income generating
projects (with selection of candidates jointly provided by the two bodies).
Recently, another aspect to this collaboration was added with the participation
of MCTC lecturers in World Bank distance learning courses on managing
income generating activities for women. In 2002, MCTC staff and trainees
participated with the Young Americas Business Trust (YABT) of the Organization
of American States in a distance learning program on small businesses
broadcast over the World Bank's Global Distance Learning Network, with
a linkup to various countries in Latin America. As a result of this
positive experience, the World Bank is presently sponsoring a Business
Labs Project for Young Entrepreneurs, including a 4-year commitment
to training school teachers in Ecuador to promote entrepreneurship within
schools

MASHAV-CIDA-Guatemala Community Rehabilitation Project

This Year 2000 Project is an example of how the combined
efforts of MASHAV with other development organizations, each focusing
on its own area of expertise, can have greater impact than the efforts
of one organization alone. The project aimed at bringing Israeli and
Canadian expertise to the service of Guatemalans from the Ixican province
who were disabled in the course of the civil war which ended in 1996.
Canada, with its considerable experience in the field, provided training
in physical rehabilitation of the disabled. Israels contribution
to the project was in the field of economic rehabilitation and the development
of income-generating projects. MASHAV provided training, in the form
of tailor-made courses, both in Guatemala and in Israel, for Guatemalans
who work with the disabled, and, in particular, victims of the civil
war. In the context of the project, Israel trained representatives of
both the army and the former opposition combatants, social workers,
nurses, doctors, community workers, NGO representatives and members
of indigenous communities. In addition, Israel assisted in the establishment
of a development center in Nebaj, Guatemala, whose function was to provide
a support platform for micro-enterprises. The development center was
modeled after ones in Israel for disadvantaged populations in conflict
zones.

MASHAV Training Extensions: CINADCO

CINADCO - The Center for International Agricultural Development
Cooperation

The Center for International Agricultural Development Cooperation (CINADCO),
of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, is MASHAV's main
professional and operational institution in Israel for international
agricultural development cooperation.

CINADCO's activities focus on key issues and problems in agricultural
development facing rural and peri-urban communities.

CINADCO's main functions include:

* Human resource development  training courses and seminars in
Israel and in partner countries involving practical training for professionals,
leading farmers, and agricultural technicians;

* Initiation and development of transfer of know-how modalities in
different agricultural and resource base conditions;

* Professional and operational support for agricultural demonstration
programs and projects;

* Professional and consultancy services for small and medium agribusiness
entrepreneurship (SMEs) development;

* Long-and short-term consultancy missions overseas;

* Joint research on agriculture-related subjects in host countries
with the participation of local experts.

CINADCO's activities take place in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and
Latin America and in a number of training centers in Israel. CINADCO's
courses are conducted in English, Spanish, French, Russian, Arabic and
other local languages.

CINADCO draws upon the core of the professional skills
of experts in the Israel Ministry
of Agriculture and Rural Development and other specialized in-country
and international entities. A professional and operational network has
likewise been developed with NGOs and international institutes to enhance
networking and development cooperation.

CINADCO recently updated a publication providing a profile of the organizations
vision both in terms of its professional and operational activities.
In this publication, you can also see the people running the show.

Global agricultural development challenges, with special focus
on developing countries, CINADCOs publication notes, will
play a significant role as we progress into the 21st century. In view
of the world globalization process, international cooperation will have
to challenge the need to enhance rural incomes and economic growth through
greater sustainable and efficient agricultural production output. It
is envisaged that the effort to close the food gap in developing countries
will create more rural employment and income, thus advancing industry,
services and trade.

CINADCO, the Center for International Agricultural Development Cooperation
of Israels Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, working
in conjunction with MASHAV, describes its international training activities,
development projects, overseas training and cooperation on research
and development programs in this new publication.

In addition, a newly-designed Catalogue of Overseas Training Programs
in Agriculture and Rural Development, more commonly known as on-the-spot
courses, available via CINADCO has just been printed. It provides an
in-depth look at some 68 different kinds of courses and workshops CINADCO
is able to organize and conduct at the request of cooperating countries,
organizations and institutions.

The Golda Meir Mount Carmel International Training
Center (MCTC), established in Haifa in 1961, is one of MASHAV's first training centers. It was founded in
order to train professional women and men from developing countries
and transitional societies, providing them with the necessary tools
for women's empowerment. To this end, three areas of study have been
developed, all with the objective of enabling women to participate in
the development process of their communities and consequently advance
their status:

* Community Development, particularly NGO and Community Service Management,
Media Strategies for Social Change, and Rehabilitation within the Community;

* Micro-enterprise Development, including Organization and Management,
Support Systems and Rural Tourism, all with an emphasis on women entrepreneurs;

* Early Childhood Education, including teacher-training methodologies
for kindergartens and day-care, children with special needs, parental
involvement, emergent literacy, science, music and art.

The Center's underlying philosophy stresses the importance of bottom-up,
grassroots-led development and the recognition of women's contribution
to their countries' development. MCTC methodology incorporates a strongly
"hands-on" approach, wherever possible based on observation
visits, case studies presented by participants from their own work experience
and problem solving through simulation exercises.

International courses are held in English, Spanish and French. In addition,
several tailor-made courses and workshops are commissioned annually
by government and non-governmental bodies on specific topics. The majority
of courses and workshops run between three to seven weeks and most participants
are professionals, aged between 25-50, with at least seven years experience
in their field.

Week-long International Seminars and Symposia take place biennially
on development themes of current interest for women leaders active in
public life in the developing and industrialized countries. Throughout
the year two-to-three-week workshops are conducted in host countries
at the request of government agencies or non-governmental organizations
in the trainees' countries of origin.

MCTC cooperates with a number of governmental and
non-governmental organizations (ACWF, CCBCC, Soros), international aid
agencies (USAID, OAS, IDB, GIFRID, WBI), international women's organizations
(Soroptimist International, Women's Mediterranean Forum, International
Council of Women) and United Nations specialized agencies such as ILO,
UNESCO, UNICEF, UNCTAD and UNDP.

Our Training Extensions:
Aharon Ofri International Training Center

The Aharon Ofri International Training Center

The Aharon Ofri International Training Center was established in 1989,
as a MASHAV extension, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education.
Since its inception, the Center has focused its activity on educational
fields that contribute to regional and human resource development.

The Ofri Center's program includes a variety of subjects targeted to
educational staff, directors, supervisors and decision-making people
in the field of education. The Center's focus is on three fields deemed
essential to economic development and society building:

* Science and Technology Education

* Community Education

* Educational Management

The Center's courses deal with a wide range of topics, including: Science
and Technology Education; The use of I.C.T in Education (The Internet
and e-learning in Schools); Curriculum Development and Study Planning;
Educational Technologies including the use of frontal and advanced teaching
tools; Adjusting Teaching Methods and Didactic Materials; Community
Education and Educational Initiatives; Environmental Education; Prevention
of Drug Abuse; Democracy and Civic Education; Migration and Integration
for Development; Urban Renewal; Special Education; Education for Gifted
Children; Teachers Training; Education System Design and School Management;
Higher Education Systems; Media and Visual Communications.

The Center directs its activities towards both the formal and informal
educational frameworks, while focusing on target populations such as
field workers and senior decision makers. The Center cooperates with
educators, principals, local and regional educational supervisors, heads
of municipal and regional educational departments, curriculum planners,
senior administrators, lecturers and university staff. These professionals
are considered to be agents of change, thus transferring the experience
and knowledge acquired in Israel to members of the educational community
in their respective countries.

The Aharon Ofri Center offers courses in English, Spanish and Russian
as well as providing for MASHAV on-the-spot courses in a variety of
subjects. The on-the-spot courses are organized under the auspices of
the host countries themselves, following contacts with local Israeli
experts.

The Center provides single-country tailor-made courses and seminars
in cooperation with governmental and non-governmental organizations
from different countries.

Week-long International Seminars and Symposia take place biennially
on Educational development themes of current interest for Governments,
Educational Institutions and non-governmental organizations.

The Ofri Center works in full cooperation with the Ministry of Education
in Israel and is connected with governmental and non-governmental organizations,
international aid agencies (USAID, OAS, IDB, GIFRID, WBI), and United
Nations specialized agencies such as UNESCO, UNICEF and CIMI.

Recent Seminars, Tailor Made Courses and On-the-Spot Courses

Seminar for Judges from Colombia  The Seminar was held
during June 2003 for 21 participants of the Colombian judiciary and
headed by the President of the Supreme Court of Justice in Colombia.
The Seminar was a joint project of USAID, MASHAV, the Supreme Court
of Israel  the Training Institute for Judges in Israel and the
Republic of Colombia.

Seminar on Educational Initiatives  The Seminar
was held during December 2003 for Vice Ministers of Education and General
Directors of Education Ministries that came from Armenia, Bulgaria,
Cameroon, China, Croatia, Honduras, Latvia, Malawi, Romania, Uruguay,
Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Education for Gifted Children  Three Tailor
made courses for a total of 100 Korean Teachers from Busan metropolitan
city Office of Education, Seoul metropolitan city Office of Education
and Daejeon metropolitan city Office of Education. The 3-weeks long
training courses were held during July 2003, January 2004 and February
2004 and were planned according with Korea's new educational reforms
in education of gifted children.

The Weitz Center for Development Studies, founded in 1963, has been
engaged since its establishment in local and regional development planning
in Israel and, within the framework of MASHAV, in the developing world.

More than 3,000 professionals have taken part in the Weitz Center training
programs, whose objective is to enhance the ability of participants
to improve conditions in underdeveloped regions of their countries through
an integrated development strategy and the application of appropriate
methodologies for planning and implementation. Training courses of the
Weitz Center are interdisciplinary and application oriented.

Amongst the Weitz Center's most important courses is the International
Rural Regional Development Planning Course (IRRDP), which brings together
professionals from around the world and from a variety of disciplines.
The IRRDP course is divided into a five-month academic stage held in
Israel, and a two month practical stage, conducted in a designated host
country. During the latter stage, participants grouped into interdisciplinary
teams prepare a comprehensive development planning project for a selected
region in the host country under the guidance of Weitz Center experts.
The host country where the practical stage is conducted benefits not
only from the training of its professionals but also from an integrated
development plan which includes macro-regional and sectorial plans,
as well as several derived "Project Profiles," which can be
later implemented. Many of the host countries have implemented most,
or a large part, of the planning project.

IRRDP courses have been conducted since 1969, with the participation
of thousands of professionals from developing countries. Dozens of countries
from Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Mediterranean have hosted the
practical stage of the course.

The Weitz Center also conducts programs on specific subjects related
to social-economic development, such as Industrial Development in Rural
Areas, Local Economic Development, Rural Tourism Projects and Public
and Business Administration in Rural Areas.

Our Training Extensions: Affiliate Training
Centers

The Israel Agricultural Research Organization - Volcani Center

The Israel Agricultural Research Organization (ARO) is the driving force
behind Israel's agricultural development. The ARO is involved in solving
current problems in agricultural production, with the introduction of
new products, processes and equipment, as well as carrying out research
projects on which Israel's future agricultural efforts will be based.

The ARO consists of seven institutes, located on its main campus at
Bet Dagan (the Volcani Center), and four experimental stations located
off-campus.

Many ARO developments  particularly in protected crop cultivation,
irrigation, arid-zone agriculture, produce handling, plant protection,
machinery and new varieties of fruits, vegetables and ornamentals 
have been commercialized in Israel and abroad.

MASHAV activities in cooperation with the ARO include:

* Presentation of international research and development courses on
a variety of subjects for postgraduate students, promising young researchers
in agriculture and agricultural experts. It is intended that the participants
will transfer the knowledge and technologies learned to their home countries.
A course on irrigation has been given for nearly 30 years; additional
courses deal with plant protection and postharvest technology for agricultural
products.

* Provision of six-to-eight-month scholarships for researchers carrying
out their projects on a one-to-one basis with senior ARO scientists.

* Extension and consultancies in special international
projects: ARO researchers travel abroad as agricultural extension agents.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment Quality Sciences

The Faculty, established in 1942, is one of the most prominent institutions
in the world in the field of agricultural research and education. It
is the only faculty in the country for training agronomists and agricultural
researchers from Israel, in addition to researchers from both developed
and developing countries.

The Division for External Studies, acting as the Faculty's executive
arm, is involved in a number of areas of international activity such
as short-term postgraduate courses and long-term graduate and postgraduate
studies, which include both an English-language M.Sc. degree and diploma
programs. Tailor-made courses have also been created in order to meet
specific needs of partner countries. Course topics include: biotechnology,
food management, protected agriculture, groundwater management, aquaculture,
dairy and beef cattle management, poultry management, food technology
and sustainable horticulture.

Informal relationships are created at all levels,
as teachers and students work side-by-side in the laboratory. As a result
of this approach, research activities are frequently maintained between
Israeli lecturers and Division course graduates. This enables participants
to further their country's progress toward modernized agriculture.

Established in 1988, the International Postgraduate
Training Program in Medicine is a joint program of MASHAV and the School
of Continuing Medical Education at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine of
the Tel Aviv University.
The program offers a three-month individualized training program to
qualified and experienced physicians. The training is undertaken in
the physicians chosen specialized field of interest, in affiliated departments
of medical institutions in the greater Tel Aviv area.

The entire program is conducted in English. Basic instruction in emergency
medicine and primary life support is also part of the curriculum. The
participants take an active part in the daily routine of the departments,
and in conferences, seminars and congresses that take place in Israel
during their stay.

The doctors are also taken on tours of the country and are invited
to social activities that are specially organized for them. The trainees
are encouraged to identify some bilateral research project of mutual
interest to the host department and their home medical system.

Courses begin in autumn, winter and spring. The participants receive
a temporary license to practice medicine from the Ministry of Health,
as well as being covered by malpractice insurance and health insurance
for as long as they are enrolled in the program. Upon successful completion
of the training program, a graduation certificate is awarded.

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev -
The Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research

The Institute at Sede Boqer is the Israeli national institute for scientific
exploration of the desert, its natural resources, flora, fauna and human
inhabitants. It is also a designated Access to Research Infrastructure
(ARI) of the European Union. The institute has been a MASHAV extension
since 1989.

A number of MASHAV sponsored programs are conducted at the Blaustein
Institute, in the interest of promoting international collaboration,
by bringing research scientists and students from all corners of the
world to the Sede Boqer campus.

MASHAV courses taught over the years at the Blaustein Institute include
Desert Agrobiology, Wastewater Treatment and Re-use, Conservation of
Biodiversity in Desert Ecosystems and Photosynthesis and Algal Biotechnology.

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Institute
for Agriculture and Applied Biology

The Institute for Agriculture & Applied Biology in Beer Sheva was
established to provide the scientific basis for sustainable agriculture
and afforestation in Israel's Negev Desert, the semiarid region comprising
60% of Israel's land area.

Over time, research at the Institute has clustered around two main
scientific topics:

* Introduction and domestication of plants from other regions in order
to evaluate their potential contribution to the development  economic
or environmental  of the region.

On the basis of these these research areas, IPALAC, the International
Program for And Land Crops, was launched. Its purpose, to put Israeli
technologies, methodologies and, in particular, improved crop varieties
to the benefit of semi-arid and arid zones in the developing world.
IPALAC's partners include local scientists and researchers from host
countries, non-governmental organizations, and UN and other agencies
whose mandate is to improve the lot of mankind.

MASHAV has played a key role in IPALAC's development. For many years
it sponsored a general course on Arid Land Crops and Technologies, and
in recent years has been funding two more focused activities - a course/workshop
on Trees for Arid Lands, and a course on Cultivation of the Date Palm.
In addition, MASHAV has funded fact-finding and project development
missions for IPALAC members to Africa and specialized training for IPALAC
collaborators in Israel. In line with IPALAC's emphasis on coalition
building, the Government of Finland and UNESCO have been partners with
MASHAV in financing some of these activities.

The Israel Meteorological Service

The Regional Meteorological Training Center (RMTC) is a Joint enterprise
of MASHAV and the Meteorological Service. Recognized by the World Meteorological
Organization (WMO) as a training center providing postgraduate training
in applied meteorology, the RMTC has trained thousands of meteorologists,
agronomists and hydrologists from developing countries. The center provides
training in Israel and abroad. In addition it provides consultancies
to meteorological services and undertakes research activities in applied
meteorology and agrometeorology.

The Negev Institute for Strategies of
Peace and Development

The Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace and Development (NISPED)
focuses on societies undergoing fundamental processes of transformation:
from conflict to conflict resolution; from the rigidities of centralized
economies and political dictatorship to democracy and free market economies;
from poverty and dependence to selfhood and socio-economic advance.
NISPED's activities include education and training, project initiation
and development and consultancy in regards to these transformations
and related concerns. Courses, seminars and workshops are given for
leaders and trainers from relevant civil society and government bodies.

In addition to its overall framework, NISPED includes three specialized
divisions: The International Center for the Promotion of Small and Medium
Enterprises; The Arab-Jewish Center for Equality, Empowerment and Cooperation;
and The international Center for Cooperative Studies.

NISPED courses are conducted in partnership with MASHAV
and with other bodies including the ILO, UNIDO, UNDP, UNESCO AND WASME.

Shalom Clubs: Introduction

Shalom Clubs Worldwide

MASHAV maintains contact with many of its over 200,000
former course participants through its network of over 70 Shalom Clubs
worldwide. These clubs serve as a forum for MASHAV alumni to participate
in professional and social activities. Members are invited to attend
local lectures by skilled experts, to exchange ideas and to organize
technical cooperation and humanitarian assistance as well as holding
cultural functions. Among the many activities that have been organized
by Shalom Clubs in their home countries have been workshops on professional
topics ranging from AIDS education to business management, organization
of events to raise funds for local charities, mobilization of club members
to donate their professional services for community development and
humanitarian activities. Members of the Shalom Clubs play an integral
role in determining the focus and scope of programming of their clubs.

Recent Activities

Vietnam

Shalom Club Vietnam has organized a number of medical camps in various
provinces. The last camp took place at the Phap Vo School of Orphans
Care, in Nha Be District of Ho Chi Minh County, at which three doctors
examined over 70 children and 10 staff members. The medical camp concluded
with a colorful performance of artists from the Ho Chi Minh National
Circus.

Latin America and the Caribbean

The fourth Latin American and Caribbean Shalom Clubs Conference took
place this past September in La Paz, Bolivia, with over 126 participants
from 16 Latin American countries. The theme of the conference was "Fight
against Poverty." The gathering encouraged the exchange of ideas
and proposals for influencing the development processes in Latin American
countries.

The first national meeting of Shalom Club Peru took place in Lima this
past December, with the participation of over 55 graduates of MASHAV
training courses from throughout the country. The program concluded
with a discussion regarding future Shalom Club activities.

Cote d'Ivoire

Over 50 Shalom Club members and distinguished guests gathered at the
residence of H.E. Ambassador Daniel Kedem in February to take part in
a special workshop on promoting small and medium enterprises. The workshop
was jointly organized by the Shalom Club in Abidjan and the Israeli
Embassy.

Bulgaria

Shalom Club Bulgaria held its first meeting in Sofia with the participation
of over 63 MASHAV course graduates, as well as guests from throughout
the country. Israeli Ambassador to Bulgaria H.E. Abraham Sharon and
the Embassy staff addressed the participants.

Shalom Clubs: Global
Activities

Shalom Club Activities in Recent Years

Among the notable Shalom Club activities in recent years:

* Shalom Club Senegal, together with Israeli Embassy staff, cleaned
up and helped reconstruct four schools in the Dakar area damaged as
a result of exceptionally heavy rains and neglect.

* Members of Shalom Club Georgia, with the sponsorship of the Israeli
Ofek Aerial Photography company, conducted free electrocardiogram checkups
in an impoverished neighborhood in Tbilisi to detect heart disease.

* Shalom Club Costa Rica organized a tree planting ceremony in San
Joses Jerusalem forest, with the participation of local school
children.

* Members of Shalom Club Latvia opened a library in an underprivileged
neighborhood in Riga.

* Shalom Club Vietnam organized a number of medical camps in which
3 doctors and the Club president examined over 100 infants, children
and elderly people in various provinces of Vietnam. Medicine was supplied
free of charge, as was a donation of fresh and powdered milk and soap.

* Shalom Club Ecuador members conducted first aid courses in disadvantaged
neighborhoods of Quito where there is virtually no medical assistance
of any kind. Following this successful activity, the Club established
the Health Brigade to offer medical assistance to other regions and
to distribute contributions of medicines from drug manufacturers and
distributors.

* Shalom Club El Salvador donated food, supplies and medical services
to victims of the 2001 earthquake, organizing numerous activities throughout
the year to raise further donations.

* Shalom Club Philippines organized special reading sessions at the
Pambata Childrens Museum for the benefit of children from the
Payata area of Manila (a refuse dump in whose vicinity people live).

* Shalom Club India organized with local Mumbai trade unions a two
day workshop on AIDS prevention for immigrant workers in Tana 
a suburb of Mumbai.

* The President of the Dominican Republic allocated funds to help the
Shalom Club there carry out projects in the area of public health, dental
health, agriculture and rural planning. Club members have been active
in distributing wheelchairs to underprivileged handicapped persons,
raising donations of food items, sheets and clothing and providing free
medical checkups.

* Shalom Club Paraguay provided agricultural education
for the students of the Virgen de Caacupe Childrens Home for juvenile
offenders and a Farmer for a Day program in which schoolchildren
were invited to a guided visit at the farm of a Shalom Club member.

* Shalom Club Eritrea: The Club members organized a fund-raising activity
for the local Asmara Orphanage. A special train, about to be returned
to service after renovation by Eritreas Railway Company, was leased
for the occasion. Tickets were purchased by Shalom Club members, as well
as by the diplomatic community and other friends of the Israeli Embassy.
The colorful event took place with the participation of over 150 people.
Among them were 20 children from the orphanage who had never been on a
train before. A banner reading Shalom Train Ride from Asmara to
Arberoube  Fund Raising for the Asmara Orphanage was hung
from the side. The local media accompanied the beautiful event and interviewed
the organizers during the ride.

* Shalom Club Cote dIvoire: Following an initiative of Mr. Yapi
Yapi, MASHAV graduate from a 2001 CINADCO Aquaculture course in Israel,
local Shalom Club members joined together in a special project of assistance
to a cooperative in the community of Marcory. The 50 cooperative members,
all women, produce smoked fish in precarious conditions. In an impressive
ceremony, the cornerstone for 10 new smoking ovens was laid.

Middle East Activities: Introduction

Middle East Activities

MASHAV accords top priority to cooperation with the countries and peoples
of the Middle East. Since the signing of the Peace Accord with Egypt,
and later, the Declaration of Principles with the Palestinians, MASHAV
has been active in promoting technical cooperation with Middle Eastern
partners in a wide range of fields. It is our belief that, particularly
in these troubled times, there is no more important battle to be waged
than the one over the hearts and minds of the peoples of the region
and there is no more important strategic asset in this struggle than
that of technical cooperation. When dialogue seems difficult even between
the most ardent supporters of peace, common ground can still be found
in farmlands and industrial parks, in hospitals and community centers.
By engendering economic growth and improving social stability in the
region, MASHAV activities combat fundamentalist extremism by proving
that cooperating with Israel, rather than combating it, is the surest
path to a better future.

The onset of violence in September 2000 posed new, at times formidable,
challenges to MASHAV activities in the region. Countries such as Morocco
and Tunisia suspended diplomatic relations and technical cooperation
with Israel and cooperation with Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority
slowed significantly. We continue, however, to work diligently for the
renewal of cooperation in the Middle East.

Regional Cooperation

Despite the difficult political environment, a number of regional cooperation
programs still exist. The most important program is perhaps is the three
year Regional Agricultural Program initiated by Denmark in 1999, including
Israel, Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority. The RAP, based on
the principle of partnership between all parties, with special emphasis
on gender equality, focuses on applied research, professional training
and demonstration farms. Cooperation takes place in five areas of activity:
small ruminants, low-cost fodder, dry-land agriculture, use of saline
water and post-harvest technology and marketing. There are expert meetings,
study tours and professional visits, and training courses in all 5 areas
of cooperation.

MASHAV also played a role in a number of other regional initiatives,
the Middle Eastern Hearing Loss Association (MEHA), whose aim is to
introduce mandatory checks and rehabilitation facilities for hearing
loss in infants in Jordan an in the Palestinian Authority (a genetically
prevalent problem in the region).

Middle East Activities:
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Since the signing of the Peace Treaty in 1994, MASHAV has endeavored
to initiate and enhance cooperation with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
on all levels and in all fields. In recognition of the unique relationship
existing between Israel and Jordan, and of the mutual benefit to be
accrued by cooperation, Jordan is a priority country for MASHAV and
efforts are made to develop programs wherever possible. While cooperation
has grown considerably over the past six years, MASHAV believes that
there is potential for a far broader range of cooperation and thus is
actively seeking Jordanian partners for further joint activities.

Present project activity includes the following:

* In 2000, Israel built and fully equipped a state-of-the art Intensive
Care Unit in the Red Crescent Hospital in Amman, which serves the poorest
population of the capital. The project included full training of all
ICU staff in a series of on-site training courses.

* In cooperation with Jordan, MASHAV operates a demonstration farm
in the Karak region for intensive sheeps milk production and processing,
introducing the advanced Awassi sheep to the country which
provide approximately four times the milk yields of indigenous sheep.
The project includes over 400 sheep, a milking parlor and state-of-the-art
mini dairy for the production of yoghurts and cheeses. In addition,
the project's sheep have been used to upgrade local flocks through breeding
activities.

* MASHAV has a beekeeping demonstration and research project in Irbid,
Jordan. Israel sponsors an ongoing program of cross border cooperation,
training and transfer of agricultural technology between Kibbutz Yotvata
and farmers in the regions of Rahma and Umm-Mutlak.

* MASHAV sponsors numerous cooperative projects in pest control and
environmental issues in areas close to the Israeli-Jordanian border.

In addition to the above projects, MASHAV trains almost 100 Jordanians
annually in courses held in Israel in fields ranging from Management
of Small Enterprises to Sustainable Eco-Friendly Agricultural Methods.

Middle East Activities: Arab Republic
of Egypt

Arab Republic of Egypt

Since the signing of the Peace Treaty in 1978 until
Egypt unilaterally suspended development cooperation with us in 2002,
Egypt and Israel have closely cooperated in the field of agriculture.

Israel actively cooperated with Egypts Ministry
of Agriculture and Land Reclamation on Egypts national program
of land reclamation (the Mubarak project) aimed at resettling
and training unemployed university graduates on desert lands along the
Nile delta. Cooperation centered on on-site demonstration activities,
including professional training programs and the establishment of an
irrigation demonstration plot at the Maryut International Training Center
in Nubariya, Egypt and short-and long-term consultancies. In the context
of this program, over 5,000 Egyptians were trained both in Israel and
in Egypt and many joint R&D projects were successfully launched.

Palestinian Authority

Israels cooperation with the Palestinian Authority
focused on human capacity building and institution building. In 2000,
for example, Palestinian professionals represented the largest contingent
of participants in professional training courses in Israel. Over 775
Palestinians trained in Israel in the first three quarters of the year
2000. In particular, there was fruitful cooperation in the fields of
Agriculture, Environment, and Civil Society with major projects being
launched between Israeli and Palestinian Ministries, hospitals and utility
services providers. Unfortunately, in September 2000, the Palestinian
Authority issued a clear directive to all official Palestinian bodies
and NGOs to suspend all cooperation with Israel. It is our hope that
with advances in the political process, it will be possible to once
again achieve the high level of cooperation which we once enjoyed.